This week, Lake Mary trapper Bob Cross had to rush to a neighbor’s aid when she found herself in striking distance of a cottonmouth snake near her backdoor. Cross said the woman was edging her lawn and was only about a foot away from the four-foot-long snake, when she finally noticed it coiled in the mulch.

"With her edging and watching the blade on her edger along the grass: she did not see the snake until she was right on top of it,” said Cross.

Cross, who removed the snake to relocate it to a local anti-venom lab, said the cottonmouth appeared to be pregnant. He and other experts report an uptick in snake calls during recent weeks as spring mating season has them moving.

Cross said also adding to the population this year: recent rains. He said the spring showers have forced a lot of snakes from their hiding places and closer to homes.He’s urging extreme caution, especially when working around the outside of your home right now.

"You stick your hands underneath that hedge to spread some mulch and that guy's under there: you're in trouble,” said Cross.